In the world of time, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) are among the most coveted awards of the year. In a two-part series, we pick 10 of our favourite designs from the 2018 list of GPHG nominees. Here are five of the most outlandish.
HYT H2O
The latest offering from a manufacturer that has constantly been among the vanguards of horological design evolution, the H2O from HYT is a stunning piece of art. This timepiece integrates fine mechanical watchmaking with liquids to display time – an absolute reversal of traditional watchmaking principles, for liquid is easily the biggest threat to the mechanism of a fine watch. With a decluttered dial and an innovative way to display the numbers – they float along the sides of the dial – the H2O stands out as a timepiece of supreme design excellence and desirability.
Hermes Arceau Chrono Titane
A new model of the much admired Arceau range from Hermes, the Chrono Titane is quite large at 41mm for the dial. The Arceau range has been part of the collection since 1978. The Chrono Titane in the new model stands, simply, for a Chronograph in a Titanium case, which has a refreshing matt charcoal finish. The dial has a rough-asphalt style finish, while the other interesting design touches include the Arabic numerals on the dial and sub-dial, which have a windswept look to them. Pair this with the very tastefully applied red and white detailing, and this is a watch that will stand out on your wrist for all the right reasons.
ArtyA Russian Roulette Extreme
As the name correctly implies, the Russian Roulette Extreme is, indeed, extreme in its design. Touted as the first brand to marry firearms with high-end watches, the Russian Roulette features five real bullets set in the dial with an empty slot to signify the six-bullet chamber of a typical revolver used in the game of Russian roulette, in which a gun with one bullet is fired alternatively by two opponents till one of them fires a round and, consequently, dies – and, thus, loses! The party piece of the watch is the dial, which revolves rapidly with every movement of the hand, giving the dial a rather unique touch.
ArtyA Race 3D
A homage to one of the most desirable and, certainly, the most expensive cars of all time – the Ferrari 250 GTO – the dial of the Race 3D is modelled after the Borrani wire wheels of the car. So that it replicates its inspiration as closely as possible, the center of the dial features a hub that goes right through the dial as well as through the sapphire crystal. And, for the first time in the world, the time on the Race 3D is visible only when the dial is spun at speed, revealing the hands behind it.
Ming 19.01
The latest watch from the rather young brand, Ming, the 19.01 hopes to continue the success of the previous 17.01 model. The most striking aspect of the watch is the way in which it displays time. Unlike traditional design aesthetics, which focus on exposing as much of the movement as possible, the Ming takes the absolute reverse approach and hides virtually all aspects of the movement on the dial. The opaque sapphire dial only displays the hour and the minute hands. It’s not your typical watch, but, then again, with its ‘out of the box’ design, it’s not meant for the typical customer either.
